1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel compound and a method for analyzing a lipid peroxide by using such a compound as a fluorescent reagent.
2. Discussion of Background
Unsaturated fatty acids or their esters are likely to be readily oxidized to form peroxides. From the standpoint of food chemistry, such oxidation is likely to lead to degradation of food products, and peroxides are known to be poisonous components. On the other hand, in the medical field, it is essential to accurately analyze lipid peroxides for the diagnosis of ageing or arteriosclerosis, and various analytical methods have been developed.
It is relatively easy to detect malondialdehyde (MDA) one of the decomposition products of lipid peroxides by a method represented by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) color development method. However, the BTA method has various drawbacks such that the amount of MDA to be formed varies depending upon the type of the lipid peroxides, and the proportion of detectable lipid peroxides is as low as about 20%, whereby the absolute amount of the lipid peroxides can not be determined by the TBA method.
As a method having high selectivity, it is known to use an enzyme such as cyclooxygenase or glutathioneperoxidase. However, such a method has a drawback such that a special enzyme is used or it is susceptible to the influence of an interfering substance.
Thus, it has been desired to develop a simple method having high selectivity, whereby the absolute amount of a lipid peroxide can be measured with high sensitivity.